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STEMpressive Find Friday - Product Review of an Augmented Reality App
This is the first post of a new series that will explore and review products relating to science, technology, engineering, and math. With “STEM” becoming a highly sought-after buzzword, there are so many products advertising its membership in the exclusive world of STEM. But do they really belong? We will help you navigate the stores and internet to find products that live up to their STEM claims.
First up: the Augmenter App - by Trendyworks Technologies
The Power of Robotics
Once students get over the initial hurdle of learning the basics of programming and building, they can quickly feel a sense of accomplishment and a boost in confidence. Robotics in the real-world may only be a part of the wide world of engineering, but participating in robotics allows students to authentically experience the engineering design process.
Back To School One Day Sale!
Organizing classrooms, writing lesson plans, attending long professional development workshops...it is back to school season! School supply signs are everywhere, and kids are trying to squeeze in every bit of fun into the remaining summer hours. Some already started on Monday, and many more return to school next week. Read on for a back to school Vivify products and a one day sale!
STEMtimidation and Cady Coleman
“To Claire, we are going to need more astronauts”
These are the words that Cady Coleman wrote on the autographed picture that was given to me in grade school. The picture has graced the walls of my childhood bedroom as I dreamed of becoming an astronaut like herself, then in college as I pursued my degree in Aerospace Engineering, and now in the office at my home where I am raising my daughters to dream big and be inspired by people like her.
Back To School Sale
It is Back to School Sale time on TeachersPayTeachers.com! August 3-4 only, save up to 28% off site-wide! For a treasure trove of products to boost your students’ knowledge of all things S.T.E.M., head over to our store and check out all that we have to offer.
I’ll give you a brief tour of five of our best sellers that you and your students will love:
Space Lander Mission
Last year, I started a new Space Club program at four middle schools. Not wanting to reinvent the wheel, I searched the web for ideas and curriculum to implement. I soon became excited to find great resources like NASA and TeachEngineering, but I was also overwhelmed as a simple Google search for "Space STEM activities" gives you a mere 89 million hits. Wading through a lot of junk eventually brought some gems that I could implement, and I leave it to another post to rant about the lack of quality in many activities that claim to be "STEM."
STEM Club Rules
After moving from engineering to education, I had a lot to learn about teaching! I was used to speaking to a group of middle-aged male engineers, and now I had a classroom full of sixth graders arguing over a bag of Takis (popular San Antonio snacks). I had decided to start an after school Space Club, and to my surprise, I had over fifty students crammed into the classroom on day one. Now what?!
Do you want to build a snowman?
I don’t know about where you live, but here in Texas it has been really hot outside! Shocking, I know! So how do my munchkin and I beat the heat while having fun and learning a little along the way? Well, besides squeezing in our daily airing of Frozen, we built a snowman!
Weather Balloon Launch: Conclusion!
I know you have been waiting on pins and needles on the update from the last balloon launch failure! The students were very disappointed in the lost data, but they learned a valuable lesson of engineering. Failure is an integral part of all engineering, and it provides an opportunity to learn and try again!
Vivify Presents: Summer STEM Calendar!
Are you looking for STEM activities, but don’t know where to begin? Does engineering or science seem like a foreign subject? These thoughts often prevent teachers and parents from using STEM activities, but STEM is not difficult to implement! All parents and teachers can use STEM activities for an engaging way to practice math and science skills. STEM is all about connecting academics to the real world to awaken a passion in students for learning and discovery!